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Leveling system for a playing surface

Leveling system for a playing surface description/claims

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems for leveling a playing surface of a table and more particularly to apparatus for leveling a playing surface, such as a billiards table.

A variety of playing surfaces require leveling in order to permit proper movement of playing pieces thereon. Certain games, such as billiards and pool and the like, are very sensitive to proper leveling in order to fairly allow the balls to travel on the surface.

In most tables used for billiards, a wooden frame is supported on a plurality of legs and a playing surface, such as slate, is supported on the wooden frame. The slate surface may be provided in a single piece or in a plurality of pieces which are positioned side by side on top of the frame. Thus, both the leg and frame assembly may be off-level as can be the slate or portions of the slate. Leveling therefore becomes complex.

Conventionally, leveling may be performed using shims which are placed below the table legs and/or between the slate and the frame. Due to the weight of the entire assembly, lifting the entire table or even portions of the slate is difficult and may be very time consuming. Positioning of the shims requires much trial and error.

Alternately, Applicant is aware of externally threaded leveling feet which are attached to a lower surface of each of the table legs for leveling the table. Typically, the area of contact between the leveling foot and the floor is reduced and there is difficulty in handling the weight of the table while adjusting the height of the leveling feet.

Many have attempted to provide solutions to the problem of leveling.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,860,215 to Young teaches screws having swivel plates attached to one end and flattened wings attached to the other for raising and lowering support bars which extend lengthwise under the bed within the outer frame of the table for raising and lower the bed during leveling.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,328 to Kooker teaches vertically extending leveling screws which extend between a cast concrete pedestal and a cast concrete top of the table for adjusting the level thereof.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,878 to Dadbeh teaches support bars mounted transversely within the frame for supporting the bed and bed-level slide brackets slidably mounted on the support bars for movement therealong to a plurality of positions beneath the bed. An adjusting mechanism, which incorporates a threaded screw and a flat head attached thereto, is connected to the bracket for adjusting the level of the bed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,797 to Frasca teaches leveling means used between the table legs and the table frame and leveling means between the table frame and the slate. A head of the adjustable rod used between the slate and the table is embedded in the slate top and is supported to extend vertically upward from the frame by an angle bracket affixed thereto.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,966 to Eisenhauer et al teaches slate levelers having a threaded shank received in an associated nut in a radially outwardly directed flange at one end of the shank at an interface between the top plate of the table and the slate sheets and engages the slate sheets for adjustable leveling. The flange is rigidly connected to the shank. The levelers are positioned about a periphery of each sheet of slate.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,320 to Spoerl et al teaches externally threaded support rods having a collar threaded thereon a support member upon which the playing surface rests and a fastener for securing the apparatus to an underlying surface.

In all cases where leveling occurs between the table and the slate, the prior art apparatus provide a rigid contact surface for engaging the slate, thus the apparatus may not remain fully in contact with the slate.

Clearly there is interest in apparatus for reliably and securely leveling playing surfaces to ensure proper movement of playing pieces, such as balls, thereon.

Apparatus and a system for leveling a playing surface using at least said apparatus enable leveling of the playing surface with reduced point loading on the playing surface to prevent damage thereto.

In a broad aspect of the invention, apparatus for leveling a playing surface supported in a frame comprises: a bracket for connection to the frame; a threaded member supported in the bracket and extending axially upwardly therethrough, an effective height of the member being adjustable axially along a z-axis within the bracket; and a contact plate for supporting the playing surface thereon in a substantially level orientation, the contact plate supported at a top end of the threaded member for tilting about an x-axis and a y-axis, the plate being moveable thereabout for freely orienting the contact plate relative to an underside of the playing surface so as to substantially maintain distributed contact with the playing surface when the effective height of the threaded member is adjusted to position the plate at the underside of the playing surface.

Preferably, the contact plate is connected to the threaded member through a ball and socket type connection. The apparatus are connected to the frame supporting the playing surface about the periphery of the playing surface avoiding supporting the playing surface from cross-members which may be susceptible to warping and the like.

In a further broad aspect of the invention, a system for leveling a playing surface supported in a frame having a plurality of legs for supporting the frame, the system comprises: apparatus for leveling the frame on the plurality of legs, each leg leveling apparatus comprising: one or more externally threaded rods connected between the leg and the frame for supporting the frame thereon, each of the one or more rods being axially moveable therebetween for adjustment to an effective height for leveling the frame relative to the leg; and apparatus for leveling the slate relative to the frame, each slate leveling apparatus comprising: a bracket for connection to the frame; a threaded member supported in the bracket and extending axially upwardly therethrough, an effective height of the member being adjustable axially along a z-axis within the bracket; and a contact plate for supporting the playing surface thereon in a substantially level orientation, the contact plate supported at a top end of the threaded member for tilting about an x-axis and a y-axis, the plate being moveable thereabout for freely orienting the contact plate relative to an underside of the playing surface so as to substantially maintain full contact with the playing surface when the effective height of the threaded member is adjusted to position the plate at the underside of the playing surface, wherein the effective height of each of the one or more rods of each leg leveling apparatus are adjusted so as to level the frame supported on the legs; and thereafter, the effective height of the threaded member of each of the slate leveling apparatus is adjusted for leveling the slate relative to the frame.

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